Equal prize money for men and women at 2013 World Champs

The UCI made another step towards gender parity by agreeing last month to pay equal prize money at all future World Championships for men and women.

Road and cyclo-cross were the only two disciplines where this rule hadn’t already been applied – although the new team time trial event will remain an exception as the men’s event’s prize is ‘topped up’ by WorldTour funding.

The new ruling will be applied at next month’s cyclo-cross World Championships in Louisville, USA.

A UCI spokesperson told Cycling Weekly that the new rule would see an overall rise in prizes paid out. “For the cyclo-cross Worlds in 2012 the UCI paid 16,500 Euros. In Louisville, the global prize money will be 20,168 Euros,” he said.

On the professional men’s road circuit, prize money, is generally shared amongst team mates and constitutes a fairly small proportion of a top rider’s income. However, on the cash-strapped women’s road circuit, prize money may play a more significant role in financing riders.

UCI President Pat McQuaid described the decision as “a simple but very important step forward in our effort to guarantee a healthy and fair future for our sport.”